


on the way

by pomme (manta)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Road Trip, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-22
Updated: 2017-08-22
Packaged: 2018-12-18 17:37:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11879466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/manta/pseuds/pomme
Summary: In which Yui and Daichi are caught in the rain, only to be rescued by unlikely benefactors.





	on the way

**Author's Note:**

  * For [whitemiists](https://archiveofourown.org/users/whitemiists/gifts).



> happy birthday to the warm and adorable sara, who loves daiyui. hope this gift shows even a modicum of my love for you >3<
> 
> this is a quiet university-age AU where karasuno and nekoma didn't meet in high school.

They're stranded in the midst of a heavy downpour, with no means of escape.

Well, it isn't as dramatic as that. But it certainly isn't fun being stuck on a long and winding mountain road, what with being soaked through and no umbrella to cozy up under.

With the hostel a good distance ahead and the village they left a good distance behind, all Yui sees is an unending fog that obscures most of what lies ahead.

At least she's not alone. Daichi can't walk beside her on the narrow strip next to the road, but his footsteps behind her reassure her that they're in this together. Besides, it's a small comfort she's not the only one whose socks are making unpleasant squishing noises.

(She'll spend most of that evening in the bathroom, drying off their footwear with a mini blow dryer.)

Daichi attempts to shelter her with his jacket when the rain really began to pour, but to no avail. He tries anyway.

"No chance of rain, the hostel owner said," he says, drily, and Yui laughs, her spirits lifted.

 _He's a keeper, that one_.

A black Toyota approaches. Windows tinted and wipers going at full speed, it slows, and then pulls up beside them.

Daichi reacts at once, instinctively tugging Yui behind him. She's about to scream bloody murder when the driver pulls the window down.

"Yikes. If where you're staying isn't far, how 'bout a ride?"

The man's voice is smooth to the point it's almost a drawl. With his uncombed hair and lips curled in a ghost of a smirk he looks, according to traditional standards, rather shady.

"Um," Daichi starts. He glances at Yui, the furrow in his brows a wary sign. On one hand, they're risking illness by trudging around sopping wet, but on the other, even Yui thinks getting into a stranger's car is a bit too much of an adventure.

Then someone stirs beside the man, and Yui changes her mind.

It's not about trust.

Or first impressions.

Or some gut instinct that these people are trustworthy.

No, what ultimately cements Yui's decision to get in is that the man's companion hisses, in a whisper he thinks the rain drowns out, "Kuro, _don't_."

Because what sort of kidnapper _v_ _erbalizes_ their misgivings about luring passengers to their deaths?

Yui beams at the man, who's slightly taken aback by her instant change in demeanor. "Thanks, mister!" she chirps. "We'd super appreciate a lift!"

"Uh, Yui—" Clearly Daichi hasn't cottoned on to Yui's brilliance, so she tugs on his hand to shut him up.

"Kuro—" the man's companion starts at the same time, his eyebrows drawn together in a frown even deeper than Daichi's.

"Hop in!" the man says, ignoring his companion's look of dawning displeasure. "Don't worry about getting the seats wet, we've got towels."

"It'll be fine, Daichi," Yui whispers as they squelch to the passenger door.

"Are you sure?" Daichi mutters out of the side of his mouth. "If you agreed because you're scared, I'm pretty sure I can take these guys on—"

"No need!" Yui hastily reassures him. "Trust me, okay?"

They exchange a long look, hands still joined. Yui knows she's an open book, so when Daichi watches her like this, it's more for his benefit than her own, for him to draw strength from the raw earnestness with which she tells him: _w_ _e'll be all right_.

"Okay," Daichi says at last, and lets go of her hand to climb in.

 

Yui would be lying if she felt entirely convinced of her decision to trust the strangers, but her fears are further assuaged when she buckles herself in and the car resumes its journey down the lonely, rivulet-filled road.

Ominous as the Toyota appeared, it's perfectly normal on the inside. Charming, even.

The car is clean, most of its accessories picked for practicality and comfort. Kozume and Kuroo are leaning against black neck pillows that match the upholstery. A blue, cool-looking air freshener is fastened to the air vents. As Kuroo mentioned, slightly damp towels are strewn on the back seats; Yui and Daichi carefully sit on them so as not to drip too much.

Then there are the car's personal touches. From the rearview mirror dangles a number of accessories of various sports teams. Kozume's gaming device, drops throwing shadows across its cover to resemble scratches from well worn use, is plugged in and charging. And on the dashboard sits a figurine of two cats, one calico and one black, asleep on each other with the the rain on the windshield as a peaceful backdrop.

Daichi settles himself behind the driver's seat. After naming the hostel where he and Yui are staying, he and the man (who introduces himself as Kuroo and his companion as Kozume) strike up an amiable banter.

She catches Kozume's eye in the rearview mirror, and he quickly looks away. But Yui's worked with plenty of different types as part of her job manning the front desk of the social sciences college at her university.

No sweat. She can handle shyness, so long as it's mixed with a willing enough personality.

"So, Kozume!" And as she thought, his eyes flick back to her at once. "Did you guys get caught in the rain, too?"

"Yeah." Kozume's voice is so soft that Yui has to lean closer to hear him over Daichi and Kuroo's conversation. "We drove to the village instead of walking, though."

"We were going to drive, too! But the hostel owner said we could walk, and that we didn't even need umbrellas!" She sighs, but grins. "So much for that!"

Kozume's lips twitch. "Your first time here, then."

"Yeah! Not yours?"

"We come here sometimes."

"For the sights? The food? The bugs?"

"Kuro wants to get away from things once in a while, breathe fresh air and look at the stars and stuff. Not my thing, but he insists and it's more troublesome to say no."

"Daichi—Sawamura— is the same!" Yui taps her chin, thoughtful. "Says getting away helps clear his head."

"They're cut from the same cloth," Kozume notes, and he's right. Kuroo and Daichi have somehow landed on one of Daichi's favorite subjects: volleyball. Daichi's pointed out one of the rearview mirror accessories as a university sports team.

"I'm captain of my school team," he's saying.

"Oh? Me too," Kuroo replies. "You guys any good?"

"Really good, I'd say," Daichi answers, smelling a challenge. "Maybe we'll meet at a future tournament."

"Maybe we'll beat you in one of them," Kuroo says without missing a beat. They both laugh, but now their conversation continues with a tense air.

"Have you looked around much?" Kozume asks Yui, leaving Daichi and Kuroo to their pissing match.

"Not at all! We just checked into our room and came straight here." She leans forward in her seat, ignoring the drops from her hair that fall onto the floor. "Why, what's there to do? I'm ready to explore! Just show me the way!" As if she'll let some tiny droplets get her down.

Kozume's eyes widen, as if he's startled anyone can be this gung-ho about getting to know these parts. "Well... in the village, there's a nice tea shop facing the tori. And after you pass the village, there are some hiking trails you might like." 

"Great! Daichi and I'll go tomorrow!"

"With umbrellas." Kozume reminds her, with the hint of a smile.

"For sure," Yui grins. "We've learned our lesson."

 

The Toyota finally pulls up in front of the hostel, a white and unassuming four-storey building with plants peppering its front porch.

After Yui and Daichi express their thanks, they make a run under the hostel's eaves for shelter.

"You two were really going at it with the trash talk," she giggles.

"Just some friendly competitive spirit," Daichi amends. When Yui raises her eyebrows, he continues, "Seriously, we're good. I really want to play his team before we both graduate." He nudges her. "Come cheer me on?"

"Of course! Even if it's a weekday and I have to cut class!" She grins devilishly at him. "What would you do without your good luck charm?"

She meant it in jest, but Daichi nods. "You know, it's true. We got back here in one piece. And Kozume seemed really hesitant to talk at first. I don't know how much conversation I would have made with him, but you opened him right up."

"Not at all, he was just open to talking!" Yui insists, her cheeks pink.

"It's not just that, Yui. You're good at making people feel comfortable. You trust people, because they trust you too."

"Aww, you!" She allows him to wind his arm around her shoulders, wetness be damned. "What did I tell you?" she sings. "They were nice, weren't they?"

"I don't know if _nice_ is the word," Daichi says as the car honks farewell and they wave back. "But helpful, definitely."

As the Toyota lingers before turning left, Yui swears she sees the two shadowy figures inside blending into one, as if Kuroo is leaning over for a kiss.

But she can't be sure; the rain makes any certainty impossible, and in the next moment, the car has faded back into the mist.

 

 


End file.
